Dr. David Beaulieu Legacy Scholarship

In October 2019, the Dr. David Beaulieu Legacy Scholarship was launched to honor the lifetime of work, service, dedication, and passion that Dr. Beaulieu has demonstrated in support of Native education.   

Dr. Beaulieu served on the NIEA Board from 2003-2006 and as Board President in 2005. His work has focused on developing the legislative strategy to respond to the No Child Left Behind Act and to initiate and develop a National Native Children’s Agenda. He formerly served as Director of the Office of Indi-an Education, U.S. Department of Education from 1997 to 2001.

An enrolled citizen of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe-White Earth Band, Dr. Beaulieu is currently the Ruth Myers endowed Chair of American Indian Education at the University of Minnesota-Duluth and an Emeritus Professor of education policy studies at Arizona State University where he served as the Director of the Center for Indian Education.

This scholarship -- which is the first NIEA scholarship named after an individual -- will support Native college students entering their junior or senior year who are pursuing a major in education, policy, political science, or public administration. The long term goal is to support NIEA’s legislative and programmatic fellow positions in the Washington DC office.

The fundraising goal for the scholarship was $50,000 in commemoration of NIEA’s 50th Anniversary in 2019, at the time of the scholarship launch. 

We are especially grateful to the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community who made a lead donation of $10,000 to the scholarship fund.  They are the largest philanthropic benefactor for Indian Country nationally and one of the largest charitable givers in Minnesota and NIEA is deeply honored to be a recipient of SMSC’s generosity in forming this legacy scholarship.